In the first programme, Chris and Xand travel to one of the most disease-ridden places on Earth to live with the Bayaka Pygmies in the Congo Basin.
This densely forested region of equatorial Africa is renowned as the incubator for the most deadly viruses known to man, including Ebola and HIV. Over the course of a month, the brothers try to understand how the Bayaka have managed to thrive for tens of thousands of years in such an unforgiving environment.
The local nganga, or medicine man, opens the twins' eyes to the variety of plants and barks that he uses to treat everything from malaria to impotence. Chris gamely takes the two remedies used to remedy erectile dysfunction, to the great amusement of the whole group.
But the arrival of a very sick baby in the village allows the twins to observe the nganga's treatments in the life and death situations he so often faces, in an environment where the infant mortality rate is one of the highest in the world.
SERIES:
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Series 1 Episode 1 The Hot Zone
In the first programme, Chris and Xand travel to one of the most disease-ridden places on Earth to live with the Bayaka…
- Not for the squeamish
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Series 1 Episode 2 World of Pain
The twins travel through Asia to examine the region's attitude to pain control. They start their journey at the Hindu…
- Not for the squeamish. Contains scenes of body piercing
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Series 1 Episode 3 Healthiest Hearts
Chukotka is the farthest northeast region of Russia. An icy peninsula, it is washed by the Bering Sea, a section of the…
- Contains scenes of whale and walrus slaughter
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Series 1 Episode 4 Jungle Tripping
In the fourth programme, Chris and Xand live with the Ashaninka, the indigenous people of the rainforests of Peru. They…
- Not for the squeamish. Contains some strong language
- This episode has subtitles available.
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